Largest Copper Production by Country | Investing News Read Comments (6) Copper prices have been on a downtrend for some time, losing roughly 26 percent in 2015. The red metal has gained back some ground throughout 2016, but is still sitting well below the $3-per-pound mark, largely due to a decrease in demand growth from top consumer China. However, world copper supply hasn’t dropped as much as one might expect. According to the most recent report from the US Geological Survey (USGS), global copper production inched up 200,000 tonnes for a total of 18.7 million tonnes in 2015, despite reports of production cuts from major miners. Here’s a look at the top copper-producing countries of 2015, as reported by the USGS. Chile took the top spot again by a long shot, although Peru saw a significant increase in its output. 1. Chile Mine production: 5.7 million MT Despite being hit with earthquakes , heavy rains and strikes in 2015, Chile’s copper production held up well, dropping by only about 50 tonnes relative to 2014.

Still, mine production came in well below initial estimates for the year — Chile was initially expected to produce about 6 million tonnes in 2015. 2. China Mine production: 1.75 million MT China, the world’s largest copper consumer, is also the world’s second-largest producer of the red metal, coming in with only a slight decrease in production relative to 2014. Late in 2015, nine of the country’s largest copper smelters announced that they would cut production by more than 200,000 tonnes this year in an effort to support copper prices. 3. Peru Mine production: 1.6 million MT Peru came short of its goal of overtaking China to become the world’s second-largest copper producer. That said, it did see a drastic increase in production, jumping from 1.38 million tonnes in 2014 to 1.6 million tonnes in 2015. With a number of major projects set to come online in 2016, Peru’s copper production is expected to increase by 66 percent this year, according to Peru Reports . 4.

United States Mine production: 1.25 million MT US mined copper production was down by about 8 percent in 2015. According to the USGS, that was largely due to decreases in production in Utah and Arizona. Rio Tinto’s (NYSE: RIO ,ASX:RIO,LSE:RIO) Bingham Canyon mine in Utah saw production fall by roughly 100,000 tonnes due to lower mill throughput. 5. Congo (Kinshasa) Mine production: 990,000 MT Copper production in the Congo decreased from 1.03 million tonnes in 2014 to 990,000 tonnes in 2015. According to Reuters , that’s the first time in six years that the country has seen a drop in copper production. Glencore (LSE: GLEN ) partially suspended production at its Katanga mining operations in Congo in September. 6. Australia Mine production: 960,000 MT Coming in at number seven on the list, Australia’s copper production remained fairly flat in 2015.

Its copper output dropped just 10,000 tonnes from 2014, even with troubles at BHP Billiton’s (NYSE: BHP ,ASX:BHP,LSE:BLT) massive Olympic Dam operations early on in the year. 7. Russia Mine production: 740,000 MT Russian copper production was relatively unchanged for 2015, coming in at 740,000 tonnes compared to 742,000 tonnes in 2014. Norilsk Nickel (MCX: GMKN ) accounts for a large portion of that output — the company reported consolidated copper production of 369,000 tonnes for 2015. 8. Canada Mine production: 695,000 MT Similarly, Canadian copper production remained flat in 2015, sitting around 695,000 tonnes relative to 696,000 tonnes for the year previous. While the strong US dollar may be putting pressure on copper prices, the exchange rate can be a boon for Canadian producers who record costs in Canadian dollars, but sell in US dollars. 9.

Zambia Mine production: 600,000 MT Zambia dropped from eighth to ninth on the list of top copper producers last year, seeing a decline in copper production of roughly 92,000 tonnes relative to 2014. Barrick Gold (TSX: ABX ,NYSE:ABX) halted operations at its Lumwana mine in Zambia due to higher royalties in the country, but by April the country had reversed its decision on the royalty hike. 10. Mexico Mine production: 550,000 MT Mexico rounds out the list of the world’s 10 top copper-producing countries for 2015 with 550,000 tonnes of production, an increase from 515,000 tonnes in 2014. Despite being lowest on the list, Mexico is also home to Grupo Mexico (OTCMKTS: GMBXF ), which owns 85 percent of Southern Copper (NYSE: SCCO ), one of the largest copper-producing companies in the world. Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates.

Securities Disclosure: I, Teresa Matich, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article. This article was originally published on May 17, 2016. The top 10 gold producing countries - Mining Technology Gold production accounts for more than 90% of the total mineral output in Ghana. The top 10 gold producing countries The ten largest gold producing countries accounted for about 65% of global gold output in 2012. China and Ghana witnessed double digit growth in gold production, with a notable increase in gold output from Russia, Peru and Canada. Mining-Technology lists the largest gold producing countries based on 2012 gold production data. China China is the largest gold producing country in the world, producing 403t (tonnes) of gold in 2012, an 11.7% increase in production over the previous year. The country accounted for 13.7% of the global gold production in 2012. China also tops the list in gold consumption. The majority of the Chinese gold production comes from five provinces, namely Shandong, Henan, Jiangxi, Yunnan and Fujian.

Zijin Mining Company, which operates Zijinshan gold and copper mine, is the country's largest gold producer. Australia Australia is the second main gold producing country in the world. It produced 253t of gold during 2011-12, a four percent decrease over 2010-11production. Australia contributed 9.31% of global gold output in 2012. Most of the Australian gold mines are located in Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales, with 71% of gold production coming from Western Australia alone. Australia's reserves of gold as of December 2012 were estimated at 7,400t (13.7% of the global total) by the US Geological Survey. United States of America The United States, which accounts for 3.5% of global gold reserves, is the third largest gold producing country in the world. It produced 230t of gold in 2012, a decline by 4t from 2011. The US accounted for 8.5% of global gold production in 2012.

The gold production comes predominantly from five states - Nevada, Alaska, California, Colorado and South Dakota. More than 74% of gold is mined from Nevada alone. Carlin Trend gold mine, operated by Newmont in Nevada, is the US's largest gold mine, containing gold reserves of 17.83Moz. Russia Russia ranks as the fourth largest gold producing country. It produced 205t of gold in 2012, a 6.8% increase over 2011 production. Russia contributed 7.6% of the global gold output in 2012.The country's gold reserves were estimated at around 5000t as of December 2012 by US Geological Survey. Gold producing mines in Russia are mainly located in six eastern regions - Amur, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Magadan and Sakha-Yakutia. Olympiada mine, operated by Polyus Gold, is the largest gold producer in the country, which produced 720Koz of gold in 2011. South Africa Historically the largest gold producing country, South Africa currently ranks as the fifth largest.

The country's gold production in 2012 stood at 170t (6.3% of global production) compared to 190t in 2011. The decline in gold production was due to numerous gold mine strikes during the same year. South Africa has 35 large-scale gold mines currently in operation, including the world's deepest mines such as Tau Tona and Mponeng. The country's contained gold reserve as of December 2012 was estimated to be about 6,000t (11.5% of the global gold reserves). Peru Peru is currently the sixth largest gold producing country in the world. The country produced 165t of gold in 2012, a three percent decline over 2011 production. Peru accounted for 6.1% of global gold output in 2012. Compania de Minas Buenaventura is the main gold-producing company in the country. Yanacocha mine is the largest gold mine in Peru. The country accounted for 4.2% of the global gold reserve as of December 2012.

Ghana Ghana ranks as the seventh largest gold producing country in the world. The country produced 4.2Moz (119t) of gold in 2012, which was a 17% increase on 2011 production. The gold production accounts for more than 90% of the country's total mineral output. Ghana is the second largest African gold producing country. The country's largest gold mine, Tarkwa is operated by Gold Fields. The US Geological Survey estimated the country's gold reserves as of December 2012 at 1,600t, which accounts for 3.1% of the global gold reserve. Canada Canada is the eighth largest gold producing country, with a gold output of 102t in 2012, five percent more than in 2011. The country's share in global gold output in 2012 was 3.8%. The gold mines in the country are mostly located in Ontario. Goldcorp operates the Red Lake gold mine, which is the largest gold producing mine in the country. Canada held 1.8% of global gold reserve as of December 2012.

Indonesia Indonesia ranks as the ninth largest gold producing country in the world. It produced 95t of gold in 2012, which comprises of 3.5% of the global production during the year. The country's gold production in 2011 was 96t. The decline in gold production was due to the illegal mining and political unrest in the country. The world's biggest gold mine Grasberg, with an estimated gold reserve of 70.96Moz, resides in Indonesia. Freeport McMoran, Newcrest and Newmont are the major mining companies operating in the country. Indonesia contained 5.8% of the global gold reserves as of December 2012. Uzbekistan Uzbekistan is the tenth largest gold producing country, with a production of 90t of gold in 2012. Muruntau open pit mine, one of the largest gold mines in the world, contributes around 70% of the country's annual gold production. The state-owned Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combinat (NMMC) is the dominant gold producing company in the country. There are more than 40 gold deposits in Uzbekistan.

Estimated gold reserves of the country stand at 1,700t. Related content Tungsten Investing News | Investing News Network Your Acceptance of These Terms Overview INN's mission is to be the world's number one source of independent, unbiased news and education helping investors realized their financial goals. We also strive to be internationally respected for our integrity, our people and our commitment to excellence. Therefore, we are very concerned with the privacy rights of our audience and are committed to protecting the information collected about you.We have taken extensive measures to protect the confidentiality of your personal information and to protect your data from misuse and unauthorized access or disclosure. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, Dig Media cannot ensure or warrant the security of the information you transmit to us and you do so at your own risk. Contact Information We can be reached via e-mail at info@digmediasolutions.com or telephone at +1-604-688-8231 Information Collected For each visitor to our website, our web server automatically recognizes no information regarding the domain or e-mail address.

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If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us at the above addresses or phone number. × U.S. Seen as Biggest Oil Producer After Overtaking Saudi - Bloomberg Bloomberg the Company & Its Products Bloomberg Anywhere Remote LoginBloomberg Anywhere Login Bloomberg Terminal Demo Request Bloomberg Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world. Customer Support Advertising Bloomberg Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world. Customer Support U.S. Seen as Biggest Oil Producer After Overtaking Saudi Grant Smith The U.S. will remain the world’s biggest oil producer this year after overtaking Saudi Arabia and Russia as extraction of energy from shale rock spurs the nation’s economic recovery, Bank of America Corp. said. U.S. production of crude oil, along with liquids separated from natural gas, surpassed all other countries this year with daily output exceeding 11 million barrels in the first quarter, the bank said in a report today. The country became the world’s largest natural gas producer in 2010.

The International Energy Agency said in June that the U.S. was the biggest producer of oil and natural gas liquids. “The U.S. increase in supply is a very meaningful chunk of oil,” Francisco Blanch, the bank’s head of commodities research, said by phone from New York. “The shale boom is playing a key role in the U.S. recovery. If the U.S. didn’t have this energy supply, prices at the pump would be completely unaffordable.” The most important business stories of the day. Get Bloomberg's daily newsletter. The latest political news, analysis, charts, and dispatches from Washington. You will now receive the Politics newsletter Markets The most important market news of the day. So you can sleep an extra five minutes. You will now receive the Markets newsletter Technology Insights into what you'll be paying for, downloading and plugging in tomorrow and 10 years from now. You will now receive the Technology newsletter Pursuits What to eat, drink, wear and drive – in real life and your dreams. You will now receive the Pursuits newsletter Game Plan The school, work and life hacks you need to get ahead.

You will now receive the Game Plan newsletter Oil extraction is soaring at shale formations in Texas and North Dakota as companies split rocks using high-pressure liquid, a process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The surge in supply combined with restrictions on exporting crude is curbing the price of West Texas Intermediate, America’s oil benchmark. The U.S., the world’s largest oil consumer, still imported an average of 7.5 million barrels a day of crude in April, according to the Department of Energy’s statistical arm. Surpassing Saudi U.S. oil output will surge to 13.1 million barrels a day in 2019 and plateau thereafter, according to the IEA, a Paris-based adviser to 29 nations. The country will lose its top-producer ranking at the start of the 2030s, the agency said in its World Energy Outlook in November. “It’s very likely the U.S. stays as No. 1 producer for the rest of the year” as output is set to increase in the second half, Blanch said. Production growth outside the U.S. has been lower than the bank anticipated, keeping global oil prices high, he said.

Partly as a result of the shale boom, WTI futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange remain at a discount of about $7 a barrel to their European counterpart, the Brent contract on ICE Futures Europe’s London-based exchange. WTI was at $103.74 a barrel as of 4:13 p.m. London time. Islamist Insurgency “The shale production story is bigger than Iraqi production, but it hasn’t made the impact on prices you would expect,” said Blanch. “Typically such a large energy supply growth should bring prices lower, but in fact we’re not seeing that because the whole geopolitical situation outside the U.S. is dreadful.” Territorial gains in northern Iraq by a group calling itself the Islamic State has spurred concerns that oil flows could be disrupted in the second-largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries after Saudi Arabia. Exports from Libya have been reduced by protests, while Nigeria’s production is crimped by oil theft and sabotage.

Libya will resume exports as soon as possible from two oil ports in the country’s east after taking back control from rebels who blocked crude shipments for the past year, Mohamed Elharari, spokesman for the state-run National Oil Corp., said by phone yesterday from Tripoli. The U.S. will consolidate its position as the world’s biggest producer in the coming months if returning Libyan supply limits the need for Saudi barrels, said Julian Lee, an oil strategist who writes for Bloomberg News First Word. The observations he makes are his own. Record Investment “There’s a very strong linkage between oil production growth, economic growth and wage growth across a range of U.S. states,” Blanch said. Annual investment in oil and gas in the country is at a record $200 billion, reaching 20 percent of the country’s total private fixed-structure spending for the first time, he said. A U.S. Commerce Department decision to allow the overseas shipment of processed ultra-light oil called condensate has fanned speculation the nation may ease its four-decade ban on most crude exports. Pioneer Natural Resources Co.

and Enterprise Products Partners LP will be allowed to export condensate, provided it is first subject to preliminary distillation, the companies said June 25. The decision was “a positive first step” to dispersing the build-up of crude supply in North America, Bank of America said in a report on June 27. The U.S. could potentially have daily exports of 1 million barrels of crude, including 300,000 of condensate, by the end of the year, according to a June 25 report from Citigroup Inc. Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. The top producing countries of precious metals. Get our blog delivered to your inbox The Top Producing Countries Of Precious Metals Precious metals are rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical elements. Most of the precious metals have high investment values and historically they became the standard for monies. Today, rare metals are used in jewellery, art, electronics and scientific industries. The precious metals are: gold, silver, platinum, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, scandium, hafnium and beryllium.

Each precious metal is produced or manufactured in certain countries; some of these countries have both the natural resources and the ability to produce the precious metals. Other countries import the resources before producing them. Below we will expand on the top producing countries for each of the precious metals. Gold Gold is a chemical element with a yellow appearance. It is used in jewellery design, in monies, electrical contacts, decoration and in medical uses. Data published by the United States Geological Survey lists the top producing countries for gold are China, Australia, United States, Russia and South Africa. The actual tonnage produced each year varies so the positions of the countries are always changing. According to China Business News the top performing countries for 2011 are: China - China has become the world’s number one producer of gold with 345 tonnes of gold produced this year. Unlike many other countries that are declining in gold production as the price of gold rises to catch up with economic value, China is planning on producing even more gold and predicts up to 400 tonnes in gold production for next year. South Africa - Known historically as a top producer of gold, South Africa’s gold production has actually declined as China has taken the spotlight in production.

South Africa has seen an 80% drop in gold production within the last 40 years. Although South Africa’s production has been in decline, it is still historically considered one of the largest gold producers amongst the general population. Russia - Russia has become slightly more interested in gold purchases as it tries to compete with India and China. Russia plans to purchase large amounts of gold in the upcoming years, although its current production of gold has remained generally unchanged at about 190 tonnes. The U.S - The production of gold in the U.S is currently well above the averages of many of the top gold producing countries and only slightly below Australia and China each the respective second and top producers of gold in the world. Although the U.S has not produced as much gold as it did in the past, the nation currently produces a healthy 230 tonnes of gold. Silver Silver has a grayish-white appearance and is a member of the transition metals group. The demand for silver continues to increase with its applications including soldering, jewellery production, and coverings for cell phones to reduce bacteria, electroplating, mirror production and medical equipment usage. According to the Silver Institute the top producing countries for silver in 2010 were Mexico, Peru and China.

Picture Source: Platinum Group Metals The platinum group metals are platinum , palladium , ruthenium , rhodium , osmium and iridium and they are usually produced together. The uses of PGM’s include jewellery, computer hard disks, fibreglass, alloys and as catalysts. The United States Geological Survey lists the top producing countries for platinum group metals as South Africa, Russia, United States, and Canada. World’s Top Diamond-Producing Countries - Latest News Bookmark World’s Top Diamond-Producing Countries The diamond industry pipeline starts with mining, then rough trading, manufacturing, jewelry setting and finally retailing. It may look like a short and efficient journey, however it is anything but that. In this new article series, the entire diamond pipeline will be presented from one end to the next, with facts and statistics on the issues it faces. The diamond pipeline naturally developed on a regional basis. Some countries are rich in natural resources. Others have special skills, financing and high tech developments that make them manufacturing centers. Yet other regions are consuming markets. Of course, the division is not clear-cut, and overlaps exist everywhere. The global economic structure also plays a hand in defining the roles of different regions, as this series of articles will show.

Producing Countries Producing countries are countries where diamonds are found and mined. There are two major bands around planet Earth, the northern band and the southern band. A third center band also has diamonds but of lower quantity and value. The Northern band includes Russia and Canada, two of the leading diamond-producing countries. The Southern band includes Southern African states such as Botswana, South Africa and Namibia, as well as Australia. The center band includes the Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone in Africa, and Venezuela and Brazil in South America. The top five producing countries by volume of production are Russia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Australia and Canada. Russia Russia holds what is believed to be the world’s largest and richest diamond resources. They are the world’s largest producer and exporter of rough diamonds by volume. In 2014, Russian miners extracted an estimated 38-39 million carats of diamonds. The main miner is ALROSA, which has a near monopoly on diamond mining in the country, accounting for well over 90% of the country’s annual production. Mines: ALROSA mined 36.2 million carats of diamonds in 2014.

Most of Russia’s (and ALROSA’s) mining deposits and current mining activities are in the Russian republic Yakutia, in the Siberian region of the country. In Yakutia, ALROSA operates five open-pit mines, four underground mines and 14 alluvial placers. In the Arkhangelsk region in the country’s west, the company operates the Lomonosov deposit and two additional open-pit mines. The Grib diamond mine, also in the Arkhangelsk region, is a new mine operated by LUKoil. It currently produces about 1 million carats annually, which is expected to rise to 4 million carats annually when production reaches full speed. According to the latest estimates, Russia has 973 million carats in total diamond resources. Of this, 608 million carats are known reserves. Diamond Characteristics: The Russian diamond resources produce the full range of goods – all sizes, colors and clarities. They are known for their fluorescence, which is usually less desirable for gem quality diamonds. Another common feature of the Russian goods is that they are often in a shape known as Crystal, which has eight facets and sharp corners. Several Russian mines also produce fancy yellow diamonds.

Botswana Botswana is the leading diamond-producing country in terms of value, and the second largest in terms of volume. This is the home base of De Beers, and the source of most of its production today. In 2013, Botswana produced 23.2 million carats with a stated value of $3.63 billion. Mines: The African country has seven mines. The two important ones are Orapa and Jwaneng, two of the most prolific diamond mines in the world. Both are operated by De Beers, which also operates Letlhakane and Damtshaa. Lucara operates the Karowe mine, Kimberly Diamonds operates Lerala, and Gem Diamonds runs Ghaghoo. Diamond Characteristics: Botswana’s resources produce the full range of diamonds, in all sizes, colors and clarities. Most of Botswana’s diamond production is gem quality, nicely-shaped dodecahedral stones in medium and high colors, and often with a greenish skin. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Although the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is Africa's largest diamond producer, production details remain sketchy.

The DRC has a long history as a diamond mining country, and is today the third largest diamond-producing country by volume, despite a sharp decline in production in the past few years. Most of the DRC's production is mined by the informal sector and not by mining companies. According to estimates, some 700,000 artisanal diamond miners mine the country’s alluvial mines. The only commercial diamond producer in the country is Miniere de Bakwange (MIBA), a joint venture between Belgian company Sibeka and the DRC government. De Beers holds a 20% stake in Sibeka, and markets about one third of the country's diamonds. The DRC has large potential for additional diamond sectors. To date, diamond mining in the country has taken place on a small scale and only a considerably small area has been explored using modern technology. In 2000, MIBA produced approximately 9 million carats. However, these figures fluctuate due to political tension in the Kasai region over the years. In 2013, DRC produced 15.7 million carats of diamonds with a total stated value of $138.7 million.

Diamond Characteristics: The MIBA goods are mostly composed of low color and quality, but other regions in the country are producing desirable high white and better quality diamonds. Australia Australia plays an important role in the diamond world – it is the leading producer of color diamonds. Australia is famous for its pink, purple and red diamonds, and an important producer of some of the finest yellow diamonds around. At the same time, most of the country’s production is of low color and clarity diamonds. The largest diamond mine in Australia is Argyle, owned and operated by Rio Tinto. Argyle is a very prolific mine, producing more than 12 million carats annually, second only to Orapa in Botswana. Until recently, Argyle was an open pit mine. After several years of work, the mine is now an underground operation. The other two mines in Australia are Ellendale and Merlin, the latter of which is in ramp-up stages. Diamond Characteristics: Argyle is the leading producer of brown and pink goods. The mine’s production served as the initial source of India’s then-budding diamond industry. Argyle’s pink, red, and purple goods are high-end and highly sought after. Argyle yields mostly near-gem and industrial quality goods.

Only a small portion of its output, estimated at 5%, is gem quality. Ellendale, operated by Kimberley Diamonds, primarily produces high quality fancy yellow diamonds. The Merlin diamond mine is famous for producing large, high clarity, white, and high value diamonds. Australia’s largest diamond, a 104.73 carat stone, was discovered at Merlin. Canada Throughout the 20th century, most people would never have thought of Canada as being an important producer of diamonds. Two dreamers with a firm belief put Canada on the rough diamond-producing countries’ map. In 1991, Chuck Fipke and Stewart Blossom found evidence of diamond-bearing Kimberlite pipes about 200 miles north of Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories. Today, Canada is one of the largest diamond-producing countries in the world. Canada has four active diamond mines: Diavik, Ekati, Snap Lake and Victor. Ekati was the first operational diamond mine in the country. A major resource with a good range of goods, it is owned and operated by Dominion Diamonds. Diavik, Canada’s second mine, is operated by Rio Tinto subsidiary on behalf of Rio and Dominion. The other two are operated by De Beers.

For a short period, another diamond mine named Jericho operated as well. However, it was proven uneconomical and shut down. In 2013, Canada produced 10.6 million carats at a relatively high average value of $1.9 billion, placing it as the world’s fifth largest diamond-producing country. In addition to the mines already operating in Canada, there are a number of resources in various stages of development in the country, among them Stornoway Diamonds’ Renard and De Beers’ Gahcho Kué. Two other resources, Star-Orion and Chidliak, are in earlier stages of development. Diamond Characteristics: The Canadian production is characterized by Crystals, coated diamonds (a black skin that envelopes the diamond) and cube shapes. Some of the Canadian goods are brown colors, famous for color improvement through the polishing process. However, most of the production tends to be medium and high white in color. The above five leading diamond-producing countries accounted for nearly 76% of the global diamond production in 2013. They are no doubt the most important sources of diamonds by volume.

By value, they represent more than 65% of the world’s $14 billion production. The next section covers some smaller but important diamond-producing countries and their production. Zimbabwe Most of Zimbabwe’s countryside was explored for diamonds. It is Zimbabwe’s geology that encourages companies and even individuals to continue to look for more diamond resources. Although a large number of kimberlites were discovered in the country over the years, only a few proved to be economically feasible. Zimbabwe produced 10.4 million carats, valued at $538.5 million, in 2013. Diamond Mines: Zimbabwe’s first major diamond mine is Murowa, until recently owned and operated by Rio Tinto. There are also a number of alluvial diamond mines operated by international and local companies in Marange. Diamond Characteristics: The Zimbabwean alluvial production typically has a larger average size, a large amount of larger stones, and most of the diamonds are coated with different color skins. Once polished, they tend to preserve a brown or green tinge. Often the rough diamonds result in fancy color stones. Murowa produces beautifully shaped and smooth skin diamonds with high qualities and medium range colors – considered somewhat of an anomaly.

Angola Angola has extensive diamond reserves estimated at 180 million carats. They are located principally in the provinces of Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul in the central and northeastern parts of the country. In 2013, Angola’s total rough diamond production was 9.4 million carats with a value of $1.28 billion. Diamond Mines: The most important and largest diamond mine in Angola is Catoca. It is the world’s fourth largest kimberlite and one of the largest diamond mines in the world, producing more than 7 million carats annually. Sociedade Mineira de Catoca operates the mine. In addition, Angola has several alluvial operations, typically operated by artisanal miners. Most notable among the alluvial operations is Somiluana, which is. Kimberlite mining is done in agreement with ENDIAMA, the state-owned diamond mining company. The locally mined goods are marketed by SODIAM, the state-owned diamond marketing company. Diamond Characteristics: Angola’s production is typically composed of round dodecahedral diamonds of medium and yellowish colors with a larger average size production and a larger than usual presence of larger stones.

South Africa South Africa’s rough diamond production is typically composed of perfectly round dodecahedral diamonds, in high white colors and qualities. Some of the most beautiful stones in the world are originally from South Africa. This includes The Cullinan diamond, which is the largest non-carbonado and largest gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3106.75 carats. South Africa is also home to some of the most amazing pink and blue diamonds, which were found over the last few years by Petra Diamonds. South Africa has the most diverse range of diamond deposits in the world. Deposits include open pit and underground kimberlite pipe/dyke/fissure mining, alluvial mining, and on and offshore marine mining. Diamond mines in South Africa are operated by De Beers. Petra Diamonds bought many mines previously owned by De Beers and many other producers including Trans Hex and Diamondcorp. South Africa’s total rough diamond production for 2013 was 8.1 million carats for a value of $1.19 billion, according to the Kimberley process report for 2013.

Lesotho Although not a large producer of diamonds by volume, Lesotho is an interesting diamond-producing country because of the very large diamonds it produces on a rather consistent basis. The most important mine in the kingdom is Letseng. High in the mountains, at an elevation of 3,100 meters above sea level, the mine operated by Gem Diamonds yields many 10.8 carat diamonds and larger, characterized by very high color and quality. Every year, this mine produces several diamonds larger than 100 carats, making it the highest price per carat production in the world. At the same time, the mine has a very low grade (carats per tonne of ore). Other diamond mining projects in Lesotho include Lemphane, Liqhobong, the Mothae project and the Kao mine. These mines are in various stages of development or initial production. Diamond Characteristics: Large block-shaped stones in high white colors and clarities characterize the Lesotho production. Total diamond production in Lesotho was 414,014 carats valued at $242.2 million, in 2013.

Other Producing Countries Diamonds found in the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Brazil, and British Guinea, all located in the central band, have the same characteristics. They tend to be brownish, with a greenish skin and a round dodecahedra shape. Diamonds found in Sierra Leone and Venezuela, which lie on the same latitudes, also have similar characteristics. They are square shaped and sometimes have a green coat. The Sierra Leone crystal-square shape has relatively high colors and is preferred to the Venezuelan production. Sierra Leone is also known for its green-coated diamonds. In Brazil, there is a high rate of pink, blue and other fancy color diamonds. Together, the top 10 countries produce 99% of the world’s diamond production by volume and more than 97% by value. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity. None of the information made available here shall constitute in any manner an offer or invitation or promotion to buy or to sell diamonds. No one should act upon any opinion or information in this website (including with respect to diamonds values) without consulting a professional qualified adviser.

World top 20 silver producers – countries and companies - Mineweb Members can save articles to their personal articles lists. Login here or sign up here Uncategorized World top 20 silver producers – countries and companies Mexico comfortably retained the World No. 1 producer slot for silver in 2013, while that country’s Fresnillo moved into the top spot among silver miners. Lawrence Williams / 15 May 2014&nbsp12:46 Only just over a week ago we published a listing of the World top 10 gold producers – countries and companies as researched by consultancy Metals Focus – and this week we are going one better with Silver with a listing of the Top 20 silver producing countries and companies as researched by Thomson Reuters GFMS, and published in its latest annual silver study for the Silver Institute in the U.S. GFMS reported that global silver production and demand were both at all time highs in 2013, with demand exceeding supply by over 260 million ounces.

See: World silver demand hits record 1.08bn ounces in 2013—Silver Institute Mexico remains top of the tree among silver producing nations, while Peru is reported to have moved above China into second place, but by the smallest of margins. Further down the listing, Bolivia and Chile in 6th and 7th places both overtook Poland which is now in 8th place. Guatemala also moved up two places in 15th place with Morocco and Turkey falling back to 16th and 17th respectively. New entrants in the Top 20 this year were Armenia and Papua New Guinea. The full Top 20 table for production by country appears below: Top 20 Silver Producing Countries – 2013 2013 Rank +3.4% Source: GFMS, Thomson Reuters In the companies table Fresnillo moved to world No. 1 in 2013 as Poland’s KGHM Polska Miedsz fell back to third and BHP Billiton, although it remained in second place, saw production fall 3.6%.

Notable among the silver miners were First Majestic with a 27.7% rise in production with production set to grow even further this year, and Hecla with a 39.1% production increase as its big Lucky Friday mine came back on stream for almost the full year. Guidance suggests further output growth this year too. Top 20 Silver Producing Companies – 2013 2013 Rank

Question: Which country is the largest producer of tungsten (75% of world's output)?
Answer: China